Temporary binder.



H. HERDEGEN.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 16, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. HERDEGEN.

TEMPORARY BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1a, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wjinesses:

HERMANN HERDEGEN, OF STUT'IGART, GERMANY TEMPORARY BINDER.

Specification of Letters Batent. I

Application filed March 16, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Serial No. 421,523.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN HERDEGEN, a citizen of the German Empire, and a resident of Stuttgart, in the State'of Wiirtemberg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Binders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

'My inventlon relates to improvements in temporary binders of the oscillating impaling prong variety. And the object of improvements is to provide a binder of this class which has a considerable strength, so thatthe sheets are not .somuch subject to injury as in binders heretofore in use. For this purpose. thelback of the binder which carriest e prong mechanism is so constructed as to assume a box like form when the. binder is closed, the side walls of which box, in the closed position of the binder,'are perfectly stationary while they may be' folded after unlocking their bracing elements. To efiect-thijs, the bars carrying the prongs are connected with each other by toggle joints.

For the purpose of illustratin the invention, I have shown two examp es embodying the same in the accompanyingdrawings,

in which the same lettersofiireference have been used in all theviews res onding parts. r

n said drawingsFigure 1, is a side view of'the prong mechanism showing the parts in the closed position, Fig. 2, is a'plan of Fig. i, Fig. 3, is a view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1-, the parts being shown in their open position, Fig. 4, is i a plan of a modification of the binder shown Flgs. 1 to 3', 5,'is a cross-section of t e binder shown in Fig. 4, showing a side view of the 'prong mechanism, Fig. 6, is a to indicate c'or- 'cross-section of the binder "illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and showing the'parts in the closed position of the binder, Fig. 7, is a similar cross-section showing the parts in'j the open position of the binder and the prong mechanism, and Fig.,8', is a'similar cross-section showing'the prongs in a semiopened positiorL' Referring particularly to the example illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, two narrow rigid folding members 6 6 are attached tothe back a of the binder, which members also have a folding connection with the cover'boards c c.

To the upper edges of the foldin members 6 b sheet metal strips' e are linke by pivots d d, which carry "the 'circular prongs f f and bear against the inner surfaces of the folding members c. The sheet metal strips 6' c are bent into'Z-form, the shanks jointed to the folding members being adapted to bear against the latter, and the outer shanks being adapted tobear against each other, when the rongs are closed. At their lower ends 0 e they are connected with each other by a hinge g. In the closed position of the binder, the end portions 6' e of the strips 6 e bear against "each other, and they are preferably held in the said position by means of a spring catch h. For releasing the'latter from itsengagement with an aperturem provided in the strip portion e',a lever'i is provided.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol; lows: In order to insert or remove a sheet the spring catch is disengaged,fby means of the lever'i, from the aperture provided in the strip e, Whereupo'nthe folding memhere 6 b are folded outwards. Thereby, the hinge g is moved upwards, and'the sheet 'm'e'tal strips e' k are removed. from the me'mhers I) b, and the ends e e are separated from .each other. Simultaneously, the prongs f f are telescoped' out of engagement their ends is sufficient to insert or remove the sheets. The"ends of the prongs f are raisedw-ith the strips, andthe sheets slide towards the joints (Z d and find a support on the cover boards. As the distance of the ends of the prongs from the pivots d (l is always the same, any'tension within the holes of the sheets is avoided, so that the latter can 'n'otbe torn.

From the above description, it will readily be understood, that the mechanism for hol ing the sheets is positively locked within the folding members by the locking mechanism h connecting the strips e e. The back a, the folding members'b b and the prong 'mechanism form a rigid structure, "whereby a considerable rigidity is imparted to the binder. ghereasonfor'the said rigid connection o the parts of the binder lies in the fact, that the connection of the strips with each other and with the folding similar to that of a "togglejoint which allows the folding members to be folded only if its side memberse e are swung 'u'pl member is.

with each other, until the space between wards. The rigidity of the connection of the back of the binder and the folding members is obtained by the upper parts of the strips 6 6 bearing against themembers b b and, therefore, providing a brace between the latter and the back. On account of the said rigidity of their holding mechanism, the sheets are securely held in their positions.

The folding members or the back may be provided with springs tending to push the toggle joint upwards after disen aging the locking mechanism therefrom, W ereby the prongs are automatically opened.

For opening or closing the toggle joint, I prefer to provide a lever rigidly connected with the said joint and having a handle or the like. In the example illustrated, in which a spring actuated catch is'secured to one element of the toggle joint and arranged to engage an aperture provided in the other element, the lever has a spring action at. its end where it is connected to the toggle joint, or it is pivotally'supported thereon, so that it can be pressed downwards in order to disengage the spring catch from its opening- Instead of the arrangement shown, a lever may be mounted on the back, which lever, preferably through the intermediary of a roller, presses against the toggle joint.

In the example so far described, when opening the prongs, the parts of the toggle joint describe an angle of 90, so that the time for moving the parts from one of their end positions into the opposite one is comparatively large. This will prove to be particularly inconvenient, where a plurality of sheets are to be filed at various places.

of the same, in-which the Now, in Figs. 4. to 8, I have shown an example of the bi der in which the motion of the parts and therefore the time required for filing a sheet is abbreviated. As shown in the said'figures, the pron mechanism is the same as that described be ore. The locking mechanism, however, is modified in this respect, that it can be thrown into operation not only in one of the end positions of the parts, but also in an intermediate position prongs, though being closed, do not perfectly overlap. In the said position of the parts, the sheets impaled on the prongs must be moved a larger way than in the closed position. This increase of the way of the sheets, however, is advantageous, because the sheets are separated' from one another .to a lar er extent and are but slightly moved towar s one another when closing the prongs from their intermediate position. Therefore, the tearng .efi'ect exerted on the sheets when opening or closing the prongs for inserting or removing a sheet isdecreased. In the example shown in the drawings the said eflect is obtained by providing two locking positions, the spring catch or the locking lever having a plurality of locking abutments adapted to lock the prongs in difierent potooth 72 engages in the opening m of the cooperating strip 6, whereby the prongs are perfectly closed. In Fig. 7, the prongs are entirely opened, and in Fig. 8 the outer ratchet tooth 0 of the spring catch engages in the opening of the strip 6, so that the prongs are in their intermediate position.

By constructing the binder in the manner described, I obtain the following advantages: The sheets have a perfect support in every position, so that they are not liable to be torn. While opening, the binder is securely supported at whatever place a sheet is to be removed or inserted, whereby its use is rendered more convenient. On account of their reliable support the papers may be written upon while within the binder, without turning the back part relatively to the cover boards.

I claim:

1. In a letter file, the combination with a back of a pair of rigid folding members interposed between the back of the binder and its cover boards and having a folding engagement therewith, a toggle joint conmeeting the outer ends of said folding members and having its cooperating parts made in the form of a Z the inner shanks of which are adapted to bear against each other and the outer shanks of which are adapted to bear against the folding members when the prongs are in their closed position, a pair of impaling prongs mounted on the members of said toggle joints, and means to lock the members of the toggle joint.

2. In a letter file, the combination with a back, of a pair of rigid folding members interposed between the back of the binder and its cover boards and having a folding engagement therewith, a to gle joint connecting the outer ends of said folding members and having its cooperating parts made in the form of a Z the inner shanks of which are-adapted to bear against each other and the' outer shanks of which are adapted to bear against the folding members when the prongs are in their closed position, a pair of im aling prongs mounted on the members 0 said toggle joints, means to lock the members of the toggle joint, and a lever mounted on one of the members of said toggle joint and adapted to disengage the locking mechanism therefrom and to open the toggle joint.

3. In a letter file, the combination with a back, of a pair of rigid folding1 members in-- terposed between the back of t e binder and its cover boards and having a folding engagement therewith, a toggle joint connecting the outer ends of said folding members and having its cooperating parts made in, the form of a Z the inner shanks of which are adapted to bear against each other and 5 the outer shanks of which are adapted to bear against the folding members when the prongs are in their closed position, a pair of im aling prongs mounted on the mem bers 0 said toggle joints, and. means to lock ent positions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v HERMANN HERDEGEN.

I Witnesses:

:Em s'r GRozINGER, 'RUDoLF BAUR.

the members of the toggle joints in difi'er- 10 

